Wanted to share my experiences turning 18 and things to know because I wish somebody told me these things I talk about before I kickstarted the adult life.

When you are 18, you are a free man. The life is yours now and you can do as you want. You might already have a plan in hand or the plan that your parents prepared for you – which in fact is the most popular option these days with recent high school grads.

If you got you “plans” figured out or at least think you figured it out what you want to achieve in life, thats great for you! But unfortunately plans do fail, you just have to make the right choices to get a jumpstart on a life of happiness, health, and wealth.

Turning 18? Things to know. Here are 13 things every just entering adulthood person should know.

1. Nobody believes in you

Reality is that no one believes in you. Big deal? Unfortunately, people are right not to believe in you until you have walked the walk (typical life model) you are just another daydreamer. Until you have accomplished what you have set out to accomplish theres absolutely no reason for anyone to believe in you. You need to realize that no one believes in you and don’t seek approval. Approval is for dogs, men take what they want and don’t ask for permission. Follow your dreams.

2. Don’t bother choosing a career

Choosing a career that early is pointless and choosing your life path at 18 years old is just silly. You don’t even need a career, you can do many, many, many things throughout your life and something will hit you eventually that you want to do. Don’t get yourself lost and don’t follow somebody else’s dreams planned for you if you are not happy with them. And DON’T BE LAZY!

3. Stay away from credit cards

Stay out of debt at all costs, debt is slavery. If you don’t have cash for item, don’t buy the item. Pay for as many things as you can upfront, no payment plan or credit. If you use credit cards to build up your credit report, pay them off 100% at the end of the month. Think of credit cards as something that you will have to pay but you also pay an interest, so it’s only a downfall from there.

4. You can make money on the internet

Getting a degree in so-called “communications major” seems to be the most popular option even to this day and feeling successful about yourself is not a way to go, to me it’s a waste of time for this kind of major. You can make money by creating something on internet.

Look around right now if you are in public area, see everybody is playing around with their phones, tablets, computers, and other things…

what do you think I am doing right now? I am writing this on internet. The only difference between you and me is that I am making money online and most of you are playing online.

After getting my degree and I will consider moving to places where real entrepreneurs go like Chiang May, Ho Chi Minh city. This places are filled with hustling young business people that are looking to make something happen in this world. Go where the talents are.

5. Pay attention to money

Please don’t pay attention to the “money is the root of all evil” talks. Pay attention to people who say this kind of phrases and ask yourself: Who are they? Whether it’s someone in your family or a close friend, Do they deserve to say that? Do they make so much money that they know what they are talking about?

Money is the number one necessity of life. Forget about greed, money is a need. Money is the key to freedom and you can do as you wish. I highly suggest keeping few bank accounts with balances in each and also have some cash on hand. Don’t ever keep everything in one place, anything can happen in this world.

6. Everything has a C option, not just an A or a B

The world is not just republican or democrat, black or white, christian or atheist, liberal or conservative.

Always stand on the outside of those typical decisions. Be the outside the box person. I’m saying, there’s always 3rd, 4th, a 5th option and more… You just have to think strategically and then you see things clearly in a way that people that will depend on one of the groups never will. This is how some of the best ideas are born.

7. You have a future

Don’t ever listen to people that say “This is the best time of your life, It’s all going to be downhill from here”. I just regret didn’t put enough work over the past few year, but now I’m making all of my achievements happen. Work to build your future and you will have nice one. I can tell you that at 21, my life is phenomenally better than it was when I was 18-20, and I don’t regret decisions I’ve made before, it’s what you do know matters. I was always working to make myself better but now I only work harder on achieving even bigger goals.Forget about the retirement for now, work on your own future, this is the best time right now. Your future is up to you to build, and it’s up to you if you want a poor one or a good one.

8. Work ethic is critical to develop early

This is something even I am still working on and you should too. Being lazy is also a learned trait and learning to hustle is also a trait. Start hustling and get off that couch and get working on things.If you wait longer you will get lazier.

9. Your family loves you and all but sorry to say this but it’s a BS

Unless your parents are self made multi-millionaires, your family doesn’t know what they are talking about when it comes to planning to your financial future. They have most likely told you 1.college degree, 2. good job, 3. marriage, 4. retire wealthy?  bet that sounds familiar. What they are missing is a thing called an evidence. That is just another get-rich-slow  and it works out for most of the people. Not trying to offend you or your family but that’s just the truth if you think about it.

10. Traveling is not just a fantasy

If you are still under 18 you might be dreaming of going to some paradise you saw on the TV the other day, as a young person I was unaware of the possibilities. You could be another person like other 95% of the population that will work whole year to get hopefully two weeks off for that vacation. If you want, you can just live in that paradise you wanted to go to. What you will find is that it is actually much cheaper to live in other countries than in America.

11. Find older, accomplished person and pick their brains

If you know somebody or find one, having a mentor is a great asset. Use internet to its full extent ability, you can use sources like LinkedIn to build connections and the best part it’s all can be done from your home computer.

12. Living well and making money

This part is completely up to you, you could be lucky and get your family business job but are you happy with it? it’s not that piece of paper you get or I will get in a few years. It’s all going to be up to me and you who we want to become. There are only few classes that I am actually thankful for I’ve taken and learned a bunch. Where do you think I got this idea of blogging? From my personal experience working for online company.

13. Gym time is so critical while you are young

You must build your body and your strength, a physically weak man is a failure and the body of the average person is disgraceful. As you age the levels like your high testosterone, high natural growth hormone and high IGF-1 levels are high when we are young but if you didn’t work on them when you were young, this levels will diminish. Now, is the time to go to the gym and build yourself to its peak. Don’t even think about using steroids.

Bottom Line

When you’re 18 you’re free and you can do as you please. Until then you’ve got to do what mommy and daddy say. 18 will come before you know it, that’s a guarantee. Until then just endure. Build yourself, learn new things,  try to think out side the box, go to the gym and don’t give up on life and go for the average, get out of your comfort zone, explore. The whole point is become who you want to be and not somebody else wants you to be. 🙂